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Written question asked by Rachael Maskell (Labour) on Thursday, 16 September 2021, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 20 September 2021. It was answered by Neil O'Brien (Conservative) on Friday, 24 September 2021 on behalf of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Apprentices and Kickstart Scheme

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to support local authorities to (a) invest in apprenticeships and (b) identify Kickstart placements in their maintenance departments in order to tackle potential skills shortages in those teams.

Answer

Officials in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities work closely with their counterparts in the Department for Education and Department for Work and Pensions, to collectively engage at regional and local levels with organisations such as mayoral combined authorities, local enterprise partnerships and local government on skills and labour market challenges.

There are currently 637 high-quality employer-designed apprenticeship standards available, supporting employers, including local authorities, to develop the skilled workforces they need, which include maintenance skills. To support employers in creating new apprenticeship opportunities, a higher incentive payment of £3,000 for each new apprentice they recruit as a new employee between 1 April and 30 September 2021, has been introduced in England.

In addition, the Department for Work and Pensions is working closely with over 100 local authorities across Great Britain to deliver the Kickstart Scheme. Local authorities are acting as gateway organisations helping to source Kickstart jobs from local employers, with some local authorities also having Kickstart jobs within their own organisations.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
50720
Session
2021-22
Transferred
Yes
Subjects
Apprentices Local government Repairs and maintenance Vacancies Skilled workers Kickstart scheme
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk